it's no wonder so many investors are saying... [ all ] i'm with scottrade. the president, the vice president calling on all four congressional leaders to go behind closed doors in the hopes of coming up with an 11th hour de. it's going to be the firth gathering since the speaker's plan b bombed, but the big question, will house republicans come back ready to give meaningful ground? >> we will kick the can down the road, jeff, we'll do some small deal and create another fiscal cliff to deal with this fiscal cliff. >> just let the people's

housework its will. instead of handing over the keys to the most extreme elements in the house republican caucus. >> a lot of people donnell realize he is blocking a vote in the house. >> i think in the end we'll get a deal. the question is the timing. >> i am hopeful there will be a deal that avoids the worst parts of the fiscal cliff. >> i want to bring you in and say good morning to sander levin. sir, it's good to have you with me. what is your expectations or thoughts about hear that the president and vice president joe biden are calling the four congressional leaders behind closed closed doors today. >> i am hopeful. i wouldn't say i'm optimistic, but i think confidence has gone down. i think the key is whether the speaker will be the speaker of the entire house and let the matters come before us where there could be a majority of democrats and perhaps a majority of republicans, but let es speak

our will and act on our will. that's really one of the keys. i think if the senate bill or what was in it were brought before the house, keeping the middle-class tax cuts, but not those for the upper income, and making sure the alternative minimum tax did not go into effect -- i think it would pass with a coalition. and i think the same could be true of unemployment insurance. 2 million people will lose their federal benefits tomorrow, if we don't have. 2 million people. >> when we snowe the fiscal cliff was imposed as a stopgap on you and all of your colleagues on the hill, are you disappointed that you've had to see it come down to the wire like this? this is basically a self-designed fiscal nightmare that you and all of your colleagues have created. are you disappointed that we haven't been ability to get it together more?

>> absolutely. it shouldn't happen this way, but the republican conference showed last week how divided they are. >> there are republicans who don't want to vote for any tax increase. that's timied actions here. in the senate, i heard senator mcconnell that the november election -- that isn't true. the president was out there clearly saying there should be a continuation of the middle-class tax cuts, but not for the upper 2%, adding unemployment insurance. so essentially there's a stymie, a blockade by republicans who

really don't want anything to happen that relates to tax rates. >> sir, you said you're disappointed. the huffington post is out where this new piece on product activity. we always hear the phrase the do-nothing congress, referring back to the 1940s, but side by side, 219 bills have been signed during this latest legislative body, and the 104th had 333 bills signed, so they are the do-nothing congress getting a bad rap comparatively. are the american people just supposed to sit by and expect this? because that's the way it is, the american people's hands are hogtied to whatever you guys want to do and whether you can get your act together. >> i don't think the american people should be silent. for example, on unemployment insurance, we've talked to people who will lose their benefits. it's bad for the families and it's bad for our nation's economy. we talked to people of this

country about middle-class tax cuts. they're overwhelming keep it for us, but for the upper 2% who have done on average very well, let it go. so i'm more than frustrated, more than disappointed, and i think the people of this country really in the next few days need to pick up the phones and call their members of congress. let's hear from them. we just cannot continue to be stymied by i think a -- a party that has been radicalized. the republican conference is a very different place than i knew 10, 20 years ago as a member of the ways & means committee, where we could get together and get things done. it's very difficult to do it now. the president is meeting with the leaders. i hope we can move off of dead center. >> congressman sander levin, thank you for your time. i appreciate it. thank you.

wrestle joann reid, doug thornle is a democratic strategist and former national press secretary for the dccc. and gang, it's great to have all of you here we hear the congressman talking about, and the side by side blows your mind. debbie wasserman schultz, congresswoman and also the party chair of the dnc appeared on the last hour with richard lui talking about this. listen to her take. >> they're willing to take us over the fiscal cliff essentially controls john boehner, preventing him from being able to make any reasonable deal to avoid taxes increasing on 98% of americans and 97% of small businesses. >> being held hostage.

knew that the clock was ticking. >> well, i don't know if it's so much that he boxed himself in. there is a fact out there that we now see more districts represented by people who win by over 20%, so they are hyper-partisan. yes, there are more republicans who are hyper-partisan than there are democrats. >> is boehner betting on the president losing? >> i don't know. i think what he was betting on is he could play his cards a little better. where he really lost control was on the parliament b move. i don't know what happened there. i think peel were hopeful they could come to a deal, but for a big deal to happen action he wood to have gone without the majority in congress, that could have led to a bigger deal, which he wasn't ready to do now, but perhaps after he's reelected speaker with the new congress in, he could put forward. >> we all have words for what plan b was, but we can't say

them on tv. i wish we could. >> a really bad plan. >> whether or not he can survive, joann, there are interesting write-ups about what's going to happen. the constitution doesn't say the speaker of the house has to be a member of the house. in fact the house can choose anybody. these days the old pattern clearly is not working. >> he's going to be around post january 3rd, and in the same role, isn't he? >> there have been crazy ideas, like let's britain in jon huntsman. he couldn't control them, either. come on he's probably will still le speaker. >> who would want the job, either? >> who would want it? he has a big gavel, but can't even use it. can i know the irony that the republicans are scrambling to avert what they supposedly believe in, which is austerity?

all the fiscal cliff is the logical conclusion of an expiring tax policy, which was written to expire, combined with severe cuts in spending. republicans are supposed to be for cuts in spending, but these particular cuts, they're scrambling to avert. i want to know that irony. >> and not protecting the 98% of people who this would affect. >> republicans could fix that. >> we cannot ignore doug in this conversation. i feel like doug is being ignored. doug, from politico, both the republicans and the democrats are looked at as why both sides -- for many it means blaming president obama, and investigating for -- for democrats, the cliff is better than setting a rich man's cutoff in the million dollar range or -- and slashing medicare and social security to appease republicans. this is really -- i know we cause it the cliff, i look at it. it's a clean slate for both

sides in 2013, and to dig in in a modern approach. >> well, if that's a republican strategy to blame the president, good luck with that. polls aren't bearing that out. they're getting most of the blame right now. as far as a clean slate, the question is how do markets react after january 1st? i think that's what a lot of members and what the leadership looks at. to joy's point, i think what republicans have demonstrated is they are experts at saying no, and they are experts to saying no to things they have supported in the past. we're talking about a combined $2 trillion in cuts, protecting tax cuts for small businesses, reforming the debt limit so it doesn't continue to provide uncertainty to businesses. these are all things i felt republicans were for, they just can't seem to say yes to anything before. i think it's largely because you have a good number of house republicans who basically just are oblivious to the election results. >> when we talk about what

republicans are for, susan, republicans who are elected now are for their jobs, and they want to keep their jobs. >> so are democrats, to be fair. in the 538 blog, one of the conclusion in the behavior of congress is that what motivates members first and foremost is winning elections. if individual members of congress have little chance of losing their seats if they fail to compromise, there should be little reason for these to do so. >> yes, but what he was referring to in that story, when they talk about there's so fewer moderates left, because so few seats are competitive. members of congress -- it's a lot different right now when it comes to the republicans. >> then no one will be raising

taxes. we just couldn't come to an agreement. look how great the 113th is to start off the new years. >> and everyone gets to say, you know what? none of our problems will be solved. >> i'm over the fiscal cliff. i'm over you. i really am. >> i quit it, too. i'm with you, thomas. >> i wish i could quit it. >> this is political coward is at its finest. they have passed the bill that lets them do the things that they really want to do. republicans would love to eat into entitlements, but has no fingerprints to say, hey, we didn't do it, the fiscal cliff did it.

>> this could be easy to do, i think, because they were close a week ago, then boehner put forward that gimmick on plan b. if they can't get this solved, how will we deal with immigration reform, which i this i is more politically challenging. >> these are self-inflicted punches, wounds, that they crafted to make them better, and they are failing. thanks for putting up with me too, this time. a final salute to general norman schwarzkopf. he died yesterday after complications from pneumonia. plus an aide to president george h.w. bush. who was the biggest political winner in 2012 and why? tweet me or find me on facebook.

tributes are pouring in today for german norman schwarzkopf. nicknamed stormin' norman for his legendary temp. the general died yesterday in tampa, florida. he was 78 years old. his was known for his colorful, very blunt-talking style, credited for devising the plan that drove saddam hussein's forces out of kuwait in the first gulf war. >> if they're dumb enough to attack they'll pay a powerful force. >> i'm completely confident we're going to kick his butt when he gets here. >> as far as saddam hussein being a great strategist, he's neither a strategist, nor is he schooled in the operational art. president obama calling

general norman schwarzkopf, an original who stood tall for his country and the army he loved. most importantly president george h.w. bush issued a statement from his hospital bed -- we mourn the loss of a true american patriot. more than that he was a good and a decent man and a dear friend. joining me by telephone is retired general barry mccaffery, now a msnbc news analyst. you were widely believed to be his favorite general. so tell us about the man that you knew, and for all of us gen-xers and older who got to know him, tell us about his characterizations. >> a good way to set it up, thomas. i think he was a great man. he was ferociously intelligent, sometimes missed that this guy

had a genius-level i.q., a bundle of energy, more importantly to us -- a lot of our senior military leaders are good organizers with great energy, but this guy had a sense of strategic understanding of the battlefield, so what's discounted nowadays is that four-day ground victory for the first war, going into it we were dealing with the fourth largest army in the face of the earth that then was pulled apart by u.s. airpower, naval power, but more importantly by schwarzkopf, instead of banging away directly at the enemy and circling the whole force. he loved soldiers. he was a remarkable man, and as frequently noted, he had a temper. if you weren't taking care of soldiers or following the bouncing ball, you would understand quickly he was

displeased with you. >> one thing we got to know the general by were the legendary press briefings, and at the time, you know, it was a very honest conversations being had, but in reflection, the general made it very object that he was trying to speak directly to saddam hussein. that was the audience, correct? for who he was trying to talk to? >> it was a new war. the most highly covered conflict, with live tv on the ground, schwarzkopf and colin powell and that wonderful first president bush all were products of their background. schwarzkopf personally was wounded twice in combat in vietnam, three silver stars. powell wounded in combat, president bush an 18-year-old naval carrier pilot. these were senior leaders who understood the limitations of military power and the dangers. so, you know, i think

schwarzkopf tried to directly communicate with a lot of audiences -- the american people, his own soldiers who he -- we had tremendous sense of confidence by his public leadership, and he was very comfortable talking to the press. he knew what he had to do, but i think the country was well served by that leadership team. >> general real quickly, before i let you go president george h.w. bush issued a statement in respect of the loss of the general, but also his chief of stat wants the well-wishers to put the harps back in the closet. what are your thoughts about hearing the president and hopefully on the upswing of the bronchitis and fever that he's had? >> good news, talking about that first president bush, i view him as american nobility. this was a life of public service that's worth emulating and understanding. from the time this president

bush left andover as a teenage boy to fight in world war ii right through the end of his days, he's been a public servant dedicated to american people. >> he originates from a time when leaders were truly groomed from birth. >> absolutely. >> i appreciate your time and insights today. >> all right, thomas. right now president george h.w. bush is listed in guarded condition. charles hadlock joins us live from the hospital. as you're listening to the general talk about the fact that the president should be listed as among the nobility of this country action explain to all of us where he stands right now, the care he's getting about the series of setbacks he's faced over the month? >> reporter: good morning, thomas. former president bush remains in guarded condition at methodist hospital in houston. that's about all the information we have about the president, because the family has now asked for privacy, as he continues treatment for a persistent cough and fever. he was admitted to the hospital

here in houston back on november 23rd, complaining of a could have. last sunday he was placed in icu because of his weakened did not and a persistent fever. now the family is asking for privacy. but just yesterday his former -- his chief of staff gene becker sent an e-mail to family and friends. in that e-mail she says -- sell he sick? yes. does he plan on going anywhere soon? no. he has every intention of staying put. becker went on to say that going forward, the family intends to deal with the health issues in private. thomas? >> that is the resolve we know and love. charles hadlock in houston, texas, good to see you. thank you, sir. at least 16 dead from the first massive winter storm. and another storm waiting in the wings. we'll bring you the latest on that. plus dr. ruth weighs in on the fiscal cliff debate. wait until you hear her take on this situation. we'll bring you the details

ahead. time for "your business entrepreneur of the week" they started north carolina-based footsteps clothing which had a booming christmas themed pajama line president not want to just be a seasonal business, they added other holidays and eventually expanded to products that celebrate family life. for your watch "your business" on sunday mornings on msnbc. sometimes what we suffer from is bigger than we think ... like the flu. with aches, fever and chills- the flu's a really big deal. so why treat it like it's a little cold? there's something that works differently than over-the-counter remedies. prescription tamiflu attacks the flu virus at its source. so don't wait. call your doctor right away. tamiflu is prescription medicine for treating the flu in adults and children one year and older whose flu symptoms started within the last two days. before taking tamiflu tell your doctor if you're pregnant,

nursing. have serious health conditions, or take other medicines. if you develop an allergic reaction, a severe rash, or signs of unusual behavior, stop taking tamiflu and call your doctor immediately. children and adolescents in particular may be at an increased risk of seizures, confusion or abnormal behavior. the most common side effects are mild to moderate nausea and vomiting. the flu comes on fast, so ask your doctor about tamiflu. prescription for flu. that's a good thing, but it doesn't cover everything. only about 80% of your part b medical expenses. the rest is up to you. so consider an aarp medicare supplement insurance plan, insured by unitedhealthcare insurance company. like all standardized medicare supplement plans, they help save you up to thousands in out-of-pocket costs. call today to request a free decision guide. with these types of plans, you'll be able to visit any doctor or hospital that

accepts medicare patients... plus, there are no networks, and you'll never need a referral to see a specialist. join the millions who have already enrolled in the only medicare supplement insurance plans endorsed by aarp... and provided by unitedhealthcare insurance company, which has over 30 years of experience behind it. with all the good years ahead, look for the experience and commitment to go the distance with you. call now to request your free decision guide.

the new system is likely to deliver a round of new headaches. many said the best idea might be just to stay home. >> if you've not got four-wheel drive, i suggest you stay home. >> we're stuck at home, so we might as well have fun. >> we figured we we might as well enjoy it while we can. >> down south, cameras capturing the damage in south carolina. this is a look where new snow is expected. the quick-moving storm should be exiting sunday. a gunman opens fire inside a new jersey police station. at least officers are shot. we bring you the full details ahead. plus arming or educators

arizona's attorney wants to make sure at least one person in every school knows how to use a gun. also, they say don't cry over spilled milk, but you might be crying over the cost, and all because of the fiscal cliff. [ male announcer ] this is sheldon, whose long dy setting up the news

starts with arthritis pain and a choice. take tylenol or take aleve, the #1 recommended pain reliever by orthopedic doctors. just two aleve can keep pain away all day. back to the news.

just two aleve can keep pain away all day. with a new project in mind, some how-to knowledge to give us an new years clutter is no match for someone with big ideas. edge, and more savings down every aisle. it only takes a few twists and turns

for those bright ideas to make the new year even brighter. more saving. more doing. that's the power of the home depot. start fresh and save with hdx 20 gallon totes, a special buy at just $5.88 a piece. wall street is watching every single move. we'll take a peek to see how the boards are doing. we can see the dow is down by some 73 points. still above that psychological benchmark of 13,000. however it's not just investors reacting. average americans have to brace for the big hit that comes to their wall either. not only will taxes go up for 88% of americans, but the long-term unemployed have a lot to lose. going over the cliff would slash benefits for more than 2 million americans. joining me with the latest on

this is cnbc's brian sullivan. not 300 million a week, but 300 a week. how quickly average americans will start to feel the pinch in their paychecks. >> hey, 3 million a week that's joe scarborough type money here. but i get your point. taxes are very complex. it depends if you're married, do you have kids, do you own a home? all the numbers you'll use will be pretty general based on sort of the average family calculation. if you're a median income household, you'll probably be what canned to about $300 every week. as your income goes up, especially in the higher%, you're going to get hid. in you're in the fact top 1%, and certainly -- those are tax increases, $120,000 a year in additional taxes. for some people, as rich as they are, that's going to hit, but to

your point it will hit everybody. you can just google and put in your own information, kids, house, whatever income. you can figure out exactly where you're going to get hit. let's hope we get a deal form the president is supposed to outline something you addressed, and also the a.m.t., which is quite possibly the most confusing aspect. both of my parents, by the way, are accountants, and i'm confused by it, and i work for cnbc. it's a confusing thing. go to the calculator. >> you should be a prodigy on this stuff, brian. >> yeah, like the outdated computer service. that's the closest analogy i can bring. >> there are so many american that is do live paycheck to paycheck that have this cash accounted for biweekly, monthly, and we have the milk cliff? if congress doesn't pass a farm bill an american staple could become a luxury? where milk is now, it should

double? within the new year? >> it could. you say milk cliff or dairy cliff, it's easy to chuckle, but it is a serious topic. milk is a staple in every household. it has to do with the 1949 farm -- yes, 1949 farm bill that was passed that basically protected farmers against sudden spikes in the cost of grain, sort of capped their costs. you say, well, grain, of course you feed your dairy cattle grain and feed. if they don't have that insurance on feed costs, then obviously their feed costs will spike, they're not going to go out of business. they're not going to lose money. they're going to pass it on. so there is talk out there if this farm bill is not extended as part of this or a separate deal, that farmers will be able to charge what they want. that could lead to milk even more than doubling. it's about 3.50 to 3.75

nationwide. >> i want your tick on the po port -- >> we have the big red doing, cliff clafb, listen, to me this is probably a bigger issue in the short term. here's the thing. 15 ports, container ports may go on strike if they don't get a deal made on their contract. they extended from september to now, it's going to expire. this is 40% of the nation's container traffic. it won't impact cars, food or military items. they'll still work for load and unload those, but 40% of all the goods that will come in our out of the this country sitting idle at 15 different ports? that could slam retail sales. our economy, 74% consumer spending, could cost us a billion dollars a day. take your pick of cliffs. we have a cornucopia of cliffs to face as we head into this new

year. >> one at a time. brian sullivan, thank you, sir. just after firefighters were shot in webster, new york. there's another deadly shooting. three police officers from camden, new jersey are in the hospital off being shot in a police state officials say one was shot below his bulletproof vest. the other two officers are being treated for graze wounds. police say the suspect was being processed for a domestic incident when he grabbed a gun and started firing. meanwhile, proposals over the debate about arming teachers in school is picking up steam in the wake of the massacre in sandy hook. several states are proposing gun legislation to allow teachers or other schoolworkers to carry firearms. utah where they have held training for teachers in ten years is seeing a major uptick in firearms training. just yesterday 150 teachers took

advantage of the free training, and how to respond to mass violence at school. meantime, arizona's attorney general tom horn is pushing a han to -- joining mess is general tom horne, and david purnell. mr. horne, i want to start with you, public spot is there, there's 64% of americans say that arming teachers is an effective solution, but i want you to take a listen to what the nea president said last hour right here on msnbc. >> policemen you are given incredible training in when and how to shoot a firearm. we've had incidents with even police that innocent bystanders have been killed, the idea that a teacher who receives a course in gun safety is now prepared to deal where the kind of situation in school, it just doesn't makes sense. >> attorney general horne, what

do you say to those who say this is a dangerous solution to a different type of problem? >> well, i've actually been opposed to letting all teachers bring arms to school. i try to find the middle way. this creates more danger than it solves. on the other hand, if we did nothing and there was a preventible incident lie newtown, we would regret having done nothing. i appropriate having the principal or someone designated, just one person per school get intensive training, trained not only in marksmanship, but in judgment, determine how to -- >> is this like the air marshal program, where air marshals are now on the country's planes, we don't know on the flight who that air marshal would be, so obviously with the training you're saying, elect one person in the school that maybe no one will know, is that selected person? >> exactly. in fact, it's really analogous

to the pilots really being able to have guns, but they decided it was a good idea, and i think it would help lessen the danger of another newtown without creating more problems than it solves, which i'm afraid would happen if we allowed all teachers to bring guns to school. >> david, i know you help train those teachers. yesterday i had an opportunity to have someone on the show that's looking into this. i want to play what they said. >> we had about 200 teachers, and it was broken into two farther, the first part was about mass violence action and how to disrupt that. a firearm was one of the components. so are fire extinguishers, pepper spray and tasers. basically a three-part phase to that training took place, which was run, hide and fight. in hiding doesn't work, which often it doesn't, and the

teachers can't run away and the children can't escape. firearms is one of the alternative. not a close proximity weapon like tasers or pepper sprays. in the state of utah we've had about a decade-plus of teachers carrying concealed firearms in some of the schools. we're not trying to arm every teacher, but trying to give every teacher the opportunity to be armed. that is their right in this state. i think the teachers have personalized what happened in connecticut, and i think they personalized it, because they live in the classroom and know the hide drill, one of thundershower mechanisms to save themselves just sometimes postpones the inevitable disaster when a mad man comes in. >> forgive me, i want to say what the utah teacher had to say yesterday after receiving this training. >> now especially, i'm thinking this would be a great opportunity to be able to protect the children, ploekt the classroom, protect the teachers, if that opportunities arises.

so that's the reason i'm hirivities so specifically talk about what the training regimen is. >> the training yesterday was broken into two parts. we had the overview of mass violence, the dynamic, what happens physiologically in the body and the brain, how they deal with that, breathe through that and think a little clearer, act more responsibly and clearly which will help save lives. the second part is the ccp or concealed and carry weapons permit. they were fingerprinted, went through a regimented course, approved by the bci in utah. they were all ability to at that time send in their paperwork. i don't think all of them sent in the paperwork will necessarily carry firearms into the schools, but we were trying to help them exercise that right for those who desire it. we have -- in the past we've run scenarios, we've run scenarios in our training facility for not only law enforcement and military, but civilians. we put people in a scenario

where they are being attacked and asoughted. we've watched that behaviors. those that don't have a standoff alternative succumb to the violence of the bad guy. those that have a standoff alternative are often able to not only save their lives, but to mitigate risk and save the lives of those people also being assaulted. attorney general, let me ask when you talk about the training program, is this something that piques user interest? also, i want to find out why you support wanting to do this in certainly schools, do you also support getting assault weapons off our streets, the ban that may have federal support coming in the new year? >> well, i've taken some training from our investigators who are sworn police officers and who would do training, including a simulator, which is very helpful. the simulate situations that people might encounter, and you have a plastic gun that records

on the computer how you reacted and you get to refine your reactions, so i think that intensive training can train so there's somebody on the campus who knows what he or she is doing and is able to minimize the chance of another newtown. i think that would be important. do you support, though, a ban on assault weapons. do you support trying to get assault-style weapons off the streets? >> you know, i think that's a question for legislators. that's outside my jurisdiction. my jurisdiction is to enforce the laws that do exist. so my proposal for training people in the schools is along with the jurisdiction that i have as attorney general. sglool attorney general tom horne and david burnell, thank you for your time. i really appreciate it. just a few more hours until president obama's meeting with the four congressional leaders, just four more days until the country, all of us americans go off the cliff. why this might just work out.

plus the connection between sex and the fiscal cliff. sex and the fiscal live? really. according to dr. ruth. yeah, don't shake your head at me. there really is a connection. besides president obama, who was the biggest political winner of 2012 and why? find us on facebook. [ male announcer ] it's that time of year again. time for citi price rewind. because your daughter really wants that pink castle thing. and you really don't want to pay more than you have to. only citi price rewind automatically searches for the lowest price. and if it finds one, you get refunded the difference. just use your citi card and register your purchase online. have a super sparkly day! ok. [ male announcer ] now all you need is a magic carriage. citi price rewind. start saving at citi.com/pricerewind.

well, i think this is a very pivotal point for our country. we have to get beyond people sort of automatically knee-jerk response to the pledge of no new taxes. >> i can't believe that these five people who are charged with the responsibility of governing this nation can't come to some sort of agreement to put this sdasries event off. what if both sides actually are -- what do both sides stand

to gain by going over the cliff in that's what our next guest points out, where he says that many of them have calculated it is better to go over the cliff, at least temporarily, than swallow a raw deal. with me is jonathan allen. it's good to have you here. break it down for us. what's in it for both sides? >> i think what is at work here is going over the fiscal cliff is a better option than the worst-scale snare i don't. it matt not be the optimal snare i don't, but for republicans, they would have an tune to vote for tack cuts. they also may figure they'll have an opportunity to negotiate for other items. they don't want to cave for president obama. on the democratic side, they're winning the public relations war on this.

republicans, if you look at the polls are in the 20s right now, president obama is sitting in the mid 50s on the fiscal cliff. they don't want to give up things. they don't want to give up cuts to medicare or social security in order to get a deal that may not be best for them. if you look at game theory, you know, economic and political game theory, if all the players understand the strategies of the other players and act rationally, sometimes they won't move off the strategy that they are on. >> should americans have optimist about this 3:00 meeting this afternoon at the white house or basically it's humpty-dumpty, we're going off the wall, we're going to break, but we can be put back together. >> it doesn't mean they won't get an agreement on the phone, but i don't remember any high-plo file white house meeting producing anything other than leaked stories about how one leader told the other leader how tough he is and how weak the other guy is.

these are, generally speaking made for optics, so we talk about it. jonathan allen, great to see you, thank for your time. >> my pleasure. we talked in the last segment about the milk cliff, it looks like the container cliff will be averted. the mediator in the port works contract dispute says they have extended the contract no 30 days at issue was royaltied for incoming containers, so basically kicking the container cliff down the road no 30 days. we have asked, you have answered. besides president obama, who is the biggest political winner of 2012 and why? some of answers we got, very interesting. lawrence william says hands down chris christie, he had a great year. liberals, we can say it with pride again. we get this from pixie sherry,

2012 big winner, at real donald trump. for all the ego boosting, #tag overexposure addict. [ male announcer ] alka-seltzer plus presents the cold truth. i have a cold, and i took nyquil, but i'm still "stubbed" up. [ male announcer ] truth is, nyquil doesn't unstuff your nose. what? [ male announcer ] it doesn't have a decongestant. no way. [ male announcer ] sorry. alka-seltzer plus fights your worst cold symptoms

plus has a fast acting decongestant to relieve your stuffy nose. [ sighs ] thanks! [ male announcer ] you're welcome. that's the cold truth! [ male announcer ] alka-seltzer plus. ♪ oh what a relief it is! ♪ [ male announcer ] to learn more about the cold truth and save $1 visit alka-seltzer on facebook. stop! stop! stop! come back here! humans -- we are beautifully imperfect creatures living in an imperfect world. that's why liberty mutual insurance has your back with great ideas like our optional better car replacement. if your car is totaled, we give you the money to buy one a model year newer. call... and ask one of our insurance experts about it today. hello?! we believe our customers do their best out there in the world, and we do everything we can to be there for them when they need us. [car alarm blaring] call now and also ask about our 24/7 support and service.

call... and lock in your rate for 12 months today. liberty mutual insurance. responsibility. what's your policy?

what does sex have in common with the fiscal cliff? i'm now for the sidebar. america's most famous sex therapist is weighing in on the stalled attacks. here's her take on this. members of congress who can't compromise probably aren't good lovers, sex requires give and take. allen west is one of hose members at least for the next few days. it is month surprise the

republican from florida is criticizing the president. >> what the president is propose sing not rag mattic and it is a reflection of him living in some type of fantasy world. >> don't expect to see michelle obama's name on ballot any time soon. at least not according to david axelrod. >> you know, i think she sees her role much more as a private role. she's done a wonderful job with her kids. she will find ways to make contributions, i'm sure, but the last thing i think she would do is run for public office. >> the white house is getting flooded with requests to legally recognize the baptist church as a hate group. we the people petition already has more than 288,000 signatures. the kansas based group is known for protesting funerals. still no response from the white house yet. congressman ed markey is hoping for a promotion. the -- senator, dem democrat,

from massachusetts plans to run important the vacant senate seat. that is if john kerry is confirmed and elevated to the secretary of state. markey serve medical the house since 1976. if divorce settlement of the former italian prime minister, reportedly is a whopper. he has to pay his second ex-wife $4 million a month. a month. yes. a month. >> that's crazy good that's crazy, yeah. italy. he does get to keep their home. the couple divorced because of his fondness for women, especially younger women. berlusconi is engaged to a 27-year-old woman and is nearly 50 years older. wow. 4 million buck as month. i'm stuck on that one. dr. routes getting in on the fiscal cliff. you have to love that one. that's it for me. i'm taking off for vacation. [ male announcer ] this is amy. amy likes to invest in the market. she also likes to ride her bike.

she knows the potential for making or losing money can pop up anytime. that's why she trades with the leader in mobile trading. so she's always ready to take action, no matter how wily... or weird... or wonderfully the market's behaving... which isn't rocket science. it's just common sense. from td ameritrade.

a body at rest tends to stay at rest... while a body in motion tends to stay in motion. staying active can actually ease arthritis symptoms. but if you have arthritis, staying active can be difficult. prescription celebrex can help relieve arthritis pain so your body can stay in motion. because just one 200mg celebrex a day can provide 24 hour relief for many with arthritis pain and inflammation. plus, in clinical studies, celebrex is proven to improve daily physical function so moving is easier. celebrex can be taken with or without food.

and it's not a narcotic. you and your doctor should balance the benefits with the risks. all prescription nsaids, like celebrex, ibuprofen, naproxen, and meloxicam have the same cardiovascular warning. they all may increase the chance of heart attack or stroke, which can lead to death. this chance increases if you have heart disease or risk factors such as high blood pressure or when nsaids are taken for long periods. nsaids, including celebrex, increase the chance of serious skin or allergic reactions or stomach and intestine problems, such as bleeding and ulcers, which can occur without warning and may cause death. patients also taking aspirin and the elderly are at increased risk for stomach bleeding and ulcers. do not take celebrex if you've had an asthma attack, hives, or other allergies to aspirin, nsaids or sulfonamides. get help right away if you have swelling of the face or throat, or trouble breathing. tell your doctor your medical history and find an arthritis treatment for you. visit celebrex.com and ask your doctor about celebrex. for a body in motion.